Tomorrow can wait for Capital Classic stars

Montrose Christian senior Isaiah Armwood won the Capital Classic slam dunk competition on April 8, and showed off his skills again the next night in the District vs. U.S. game.

It was the biggest stage they had ever played on, their best chance to impress college recruiters, and maybe the most important game of their lives to date.

Yet the 36th annual Capital Classic at American University's Bender Arena on April 9 sounded shockingly inconsequential to four Montgomery County players after Thursday's District vs. Suburban preliminary game.

Paint Branch's Stephen Griffin, Seneca Valley's Bruce Massey, Good Counsel's Recardo Gaddy and Churchill's Chase Hicks are all in the dark about where basketball will take them come the fall. And even with hundreds of potential coaches watching their every move, each downplayed the enormity of the moment.

"You've got to have fun out here and enjoy yourself," said Griffin. "I used to feel [the pressure], but not anymore. It's about my [Springbrook] boys Jeremy Williams and Jamal [Olasewere] in the crowd, just having fun."

For the Panthers' No. 4 all-time leader in assists, there was a lot at stake. At 6-foot-1 with a dazzling handle, Griffin has gotten interest from dozens of Division I universities, including Old Dominion (Va.), James Madison (Va.), Boston, Tulsa (Okla.) and Coppin State. Playing well against the best players from Baltimore and the D.C. metropolitan area could have turned that interest into offers.

But Griffin played like he has since he first put on a Paint Branch uniform: all smiles. He did more than just have fun, scoring eight of his 10 points in the second half and almost singlehandedly putting the Suburban side up by double figures. He broke down defenders, dropped in floaters, and provided one of the game's highlights when he skied for a rebound and found Hicks for a fast-break slam late in the first half.

It was the only bucket of the game for Hicks, who like most of the 24 players on the court, was playing in his last high school game. A three-year starter and 2009 All-Gazette first-teamer, Hicks has been in contact with schools such as Drexel (Pa.), Williams College (Mass.) and Rochester (N.Y.).

All he could think about was how much he enjoyed himself.

"It's my swan song and I'm just trying to have fun, get a couple dunks down or just try to do something," said Hicks, who averaged 21 points a game for the Bulldogs this season. "I wish I played people like this the whole season. The competition out here is crazy. … So people are looking for a lot of different things out there: Defense, hustle. You never really know, so you can't worry about it."

Massey spent his senior year at Seneca Valley priding himself on the intangibles. Predominantly a scorer until this past winter, he became the Screaming Eagles' point guard as a senior, averaging over seven assists a game. Sure, he averaged 17 points, but what had county coaches raving about him all year were the plays that didn't show up in the stat sheet.

He made several of them at American. The two 3-pointers and nine points didn't set him apart, but the countless deflections and two pinpoint passes on the fast break might have.

"Everybody's athletic and everybody's just really good out here," said Massey, who has been in contact with Towson and Mount Olive College (N.C.). "You just have to play your game."

Gaddy, the Falcons' leading scorer this past year, logged two points and a rebound. The county's other representative, Loyola-Baltimore commit Robert Olson of Georgetown Prep, hit a wing jumper for his only deuce.

The main event of the evening featured Springbrook's Jamal Olasewere, pitting the U.S. versus Capital All-Stars. One of only two unsigned players on the floor, Olasewere had more to prove than most; at 6-6, the two-time All-Gazette first-teamer made his prep career off of his athleticism and size. The question was: How would he fare against players just as athletic and even bigger than he was?

While he didn't dominate the paint as he's grown accustomed, he showed effort and determination go a long way, finishing with 11 points and six rebounds in the Capital's 129-98 victory.

"It was fun," Olasewere said. "I was honored to play out here, man. We had an exciting time. We played great and came out with a win."